One Last Dance
by theonlythingthatsevermattered
Summary: My take on what happened after the treaty signing and before Hayley returned to the bayou. Also, I needed their make up...for reasons.


_**A/N: Because I needed a make up scene. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or storyline.**_

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Walking under the archway, Elijah begins to pull off his tie as workers were cleaning up from the party. He starts to ascend the steps with the newly signed treaty in hand, determined to get his stubborn brother to sign it when he hears the click of heels in the entranceway.

He turns around to see Hayley walk in, similar to the way she entered the party hours earlier. She was glowing earlier, still is, but she looked positively radiant in the blue dress, the swell of stomach growing bigger.

She looks up at him and smiles at the confused look on his face. "We never got to finish our dance." Hayley waits for him at the bottom of the staircase, and takes his proffered hand. They walk over to what's left of the dance floor, while a slow, quiet song plays over them.

"I must admit I am surprised to see you back here." Elijah says as he takes her hand in his while placing a hand on her hip.

Hayley places a familiar hand on his shoulder. "So am I. But I wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn't mean to make a scene."

Elijah shakes his head. "If anyone should be apologizing here Hayley, it's me. It was inconsiderate to ignore the werewolves in the treaty, and if you felt excluded or ignored by me-"

Hayley tightens her hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "I know why you did it. The immediate problem was in the quarter, I understand that now." She nervously laughs. "My temper is not my strongest quality."

Elijah grins and spins her around in a circle. He pulls her back closer than before, feeling the familiar air between them. He was surprised by how much he hated it when they were at odds. They're so close now, the air suddenly becomes thick and hard to breathe. Elijah fails to resist that magnetic pull she always lulls him under, and his forehead rests against hers for a moment while his resolve returns. Finally, he opens his eyes and slightly pulls away. Elijah could tell he was having the same affect over her. He sighs to himself, knowing that both of their resolves couldn't last much longer.

"It's so quiet…well I mean besides the music," Hayley comments as she looks around her.

"Klaus is holed away upstairs with his melancholy and abstract paintings, and well…Rebekah..." They both look down when Elijah murmurs her name. "Besides that, it's just us and the workers." Hayley bites her lip when she sees Elijah staring intently at her. "Hayley, I'm sorry for repeatedly asking you to move back into the compound. I know how difficult it is to live with my brother, especially now that Rebekah has left, and I apologize on his behalf if you feel like you weren't living in a family environment."

Hayley sighs, guilt seeping over her for feeling annoyed with Elijah's constant requests. "Elijah, I-"

His hand tightens on her waist, immediately stopping any thought process. "Please, let me finish." Elijah gives her a small smile, and she returns it with a nod of her head. "While my requests may be for more selfish reasons-"

Hayley's stomach starts doing backflips, or that may just be her little baby girl kicking, at the hint of jealousy in Elijah's voice. She blushes at the thought, but hopes that Elijah doesn't notice.

"-I do not know Jackson and these other werewolves, despite you vouching for them."

"They are my family too, Elijah. They would never do anything to hurt me." Elijah looks away, hiding the distaste on his face when she says family. Hayley lets go of his hand and places her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "Do you trust me?"

Elijah gives her a look, and a smile grows on his lips as he lets his dimples show. He places a hand over top of hers. "I do trust you. I do not trust them."

Hayley smirks as she moves her hand, noticing how, not surprisingly, that jealous is a good look on Elijah Mikaelson. "Isn't that the point of the treaty, to get the four factions to play nice and form some sort of trust?"

Elijah frowns as he looks back at her. "Trust will never be formed between the factions, only hope for a peaceful coexistence."

The song ends and the two reluctantly pull apart. Elijah takes his suit jacket off and puts it around Hayley's shoulders; his hands resting a moment too long, and yet not long enough. "May I drive you home?"

Hayley picks up on when he says home, and feels a pang of betrayal at the way his eyes dim at the word. She nods her head, not knowing when she will see him again.

The ride to the bayou is silent, yet not uncomfortably so. Neither is good with goodbyes, especially with each other. Elijah pulls up to the cluster of small houses and puts the car in park. There is muffled music coming from the barn near the water.

He had resisted glancing in her direction the whole ride, knowing that his resolve would have broke and he would have turned the car around. But now, with the car stopped, he felt like there was no room and her scent completely surrounded him.

Elijah rests an arm along the window. "Hayley, I pray this treaty will work, for the sake of this city…I hope that when I initially excluded the werewolves, you didn't feel ignored by me-"

Hayley takes his hand in hers, stopping him midsentence. "Elijah, you really need to stop apologizing."

He grins, and slowly entwines their fingers. His grin slowly falls from his lips as he looks forlornly over at her. He can feel his time with her slipping away, and he wished for anything to prolong it. She can feel his heated gaze on her, and finally looks over at him. Hayley knows that she had to get out of the car, but suddenly she didn't want to.

It felt too right here, sitting in the silence while holding his hand.

"I guess that was our first fight." Hayley feels his thumb grazing over her fingers, and she resists the feeling to close her eyes and give in to her desires.

Elijah laughs, and Hayley joins in in the melodic sound. "I suppose it was."

Their laughter falls away, and they sit in dejected silence again. Hayley pushes the door open, but Elijah tightens his hold on her hand.

"Hayley…you will always have a room in the compound. If you ever feel the need…please don't hesitate." Hayley can hear the uncharacteristic desperation slip into the Original's voice. He must feel some sort of guilt for her leaving.

Despite herself, she manages to smile and squeeze his hand, their fingers still somehow intertwined. "Elijah, you're not the reason I moved out. For the first time in my life, I finally have a family. A family I can call my own."

Elijah physically and emotionally pulls away when she admits this. It hurts to hear her say this, after everything did she not think he considered her a part of his family? He looks away from her and at the barn, to see Jackson opening the door and holding a bag of ice.

He looks back at Hayley, who was also looking at Jackson. Elijah sighs, "I know I have no right to tell you this, but please Hayley, please be careful around Jackson."

Ever since the alpha werewolf interrupted their first dance, Elijah could tell that he was untrustworthy. The other man rubbed him the wrong way, like he walked around with a sense of entitlement and a chip on his shoulder.

Hayley bites her lip to keep a smile hidden when she hears the jealousy, and also reason, in Elijah's voice. Although she hates when people tell her what to do, she knows Elijah is only saying this because he cares about her and her baby's safety.

He's _always_ cared.

"Jackson is a good guy." Hayley falls silent, thinking of who she was trying to convince, Elijah or herself. Elijah gives her a look, conveying with his eyes that that's not what he meant. Hayley gives it right back. "He's just a friend, Elijah."

She knew she should tell him about her somehow arranged marriage with Jackson, but Hayley figured they had been through enough for the night.

"It's not my business," Elijah simply says.

Hayley playfully rolls her eyes as she gets out. "I guess I'll see you around, now that the quarter's equally shared between the four species."

Elijah nods his head as he leans to look out the passenger's window. "Good night, Hayley." He rolls up the window, puts the car in drive, and pulls away.

Hayley stands rooted in place, watching as the taillights eventually disappear before heading for the barn. She walks, immediately bombarded by the din of celebratory werewolves and loud music.

Standing in the doorway, Hayley looks back out into the night as she realizes she misses the quiet and solitude the compound and its occupants offered.


End file.
